Metallic tunnel



'(No Model.)

J. & W, R. THOMAS.

METALLIC TUNNEL.

Patented Apf.. 14, 1896.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;-

JAMES THOMAS AN D WILLIAM R. THOMAS, OF CATASAUQUA, PENNSYLVANIA.

M ETALLIC TUNNEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,436, dated April 14, 1896.

Application filed March 3, 1895- Serial N0- 540,995- (N0 model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, J AMES THoMAs and WILLIAM R. THoMAs, citizens of the United States, residing at Oatasauqua, in the county of Lehigh and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Metallic Tunnels; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

Our invention relates to sectional metallic tunnels; and its object is to facilitate the construction of such tunnels and at the same time produce tunnels of great rigidity, strength, lightness, and durability, and also provide for tightening up the same in case of necessity.

Our improvement consists in a metallic tunnel formed of steel, cast-iron, or other suitable metal sections, each of such sections being of segmental form and corrugated circumferentially, so as to present a wavy or serpentine surface both internally and externally of the tunnel-rings, and each segmental section provided with a radial bolting-flange at each of its ends, and the tunnelrings formed of the sections being provided with bolting-flanges, whereby the rings can be bolted together, and the bolts uniting the segmental sections running at right angles to the bolts uniting'the rings formed of such sections, and the sections being arranged in a circle and united where they adjoin each other, and the ring thus formed being completed by introducing and bolting in position an abutment wedge-key between the terminating opposite ends of the last two segmental sections, and said wedge-key, being larger 011 the inside of the ring than on the outside thereof, can be put in or taken out without removing or disturbing the adjoining rings. Therefore if any ring should be broken, or if from any cause it becomes necessary to remove a ring, it can be done without disturbing any other ring.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end view of our improved corrugated metal tunnel-ring as completed and keyed up, aportion of the metal of the ring being broken away to show the wedge-keying devices more fully. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of a portion of one of the corrugated segmental sections of the ring. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating the manner in which the segmental sections are constructed so as to be bolted together at their ends and edges, and Fig. 4 is a sectional view showing the manner in which the metal of the sections iscorrugated on both of its surfaces and also the way the sections are constructed with bolting-flanges with bolt-holes therein running transversely and longitudinally of the tunnel.

A A designate segmental sections constructed of corrugated steel, cast-iron, or other suitable metal and united to form a ring, as B, by being bolted together on radial lines, as at a. Each segmental section has its inner and outer curved surfaces formed on wavy or serpentine lines, as c 0. At each side edge of a section a bolting-flange cl is provided, the outer surfaces of the flanges d being formed on radial lines running from the center of the tunnel-rings B. Through these flanges holes for the passage of uniting-bolts f are pro- Vided, as illustrated. The side edges of the segmental sections abut against each other and'are, by means of bolts and nuts and a wedge-key or other suitable wedging means, firmly held together after being adjusted to form tunnel-rings. At each of the ends of the segmental sections bolting-flanges g, having nicely-matching vertical surfaces, are provided, and through these flanges holes are formed for the passage of bolts h, which hold the segments together in ring form. The end bolting flanges of the segments abut against each other, and by means of bolts and nuts the tunnel-ring sections, formed of the segments and wedge-key, are united. In order to key up these ring-sections, the segmental sections for a given-sized ring are so constructed that they do not extend entirely around the circle of the tunnel; but a wedge-' shaped space is left between the ends of the terminating segments of each ring-section of the tunnel, so that the wedge-key O, which is provided to fill said space, may be introduced, which key, after being forced home, is bolted in position by means of bolts passed through it and into the flanges on the sections. By

means of this wedge-key the ring-sections are made firm, and the corrugated metal sections,

ICO

by having a wavy or serpentine construction on both their inner and outer surfaces, enable the manufacturer to furnish comparatively light rings for the construction of tunnels, which possess immense strength and resistance against crushing pressure or strains.

On the under sides of the sections the side flanges of each section and the adjoining corrugations are connected at suitable intervals by bracing webs or partitions (Z, and the central corrugations are connected upon the upper sides of the sections by similar strengtlr ening-webs d What we claim is- 1. A metallic tunnel constructed of segmental metal sections corrugated on their inner and outer surfaces and having radial abutting ends and strengthening-webs connecting said corrugations at intervals and provided with bolting-flanges bywhich they are united to form rings, and also provided with bolting-flanges by which the rings formed of the corrugated metal sections are united, substantially as described.

2. A tunnel-ring constructed of segmental metal sections corrugated and provided with lateral webs connecting said corrugations at intervals and with bolting-flanges by which the sections are radially united, and a key by which the ring is completed, substantially as described.

In testimonywhereofi we hereunto affix our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES THOMAS. VILLIAM R. THOMAS. \Vitnesses A. F. KOONS, EDWIN C. KOONS. 

